After the suicide of an English teacher in Busan on Saturday, the Association of English Teachers in Korea has emphasized that it offers help to distressed teachers.

“We recognize that life abroad can cause stress and alienation that sometimes result in tragedies like this, but members of the English-teaching community should know that there are systems in place to help them in times of need,” ATEK said in a statement.

The association has local emergency needs officers in Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces to help expat teachers in Korea find treatment programs and counseling, regardless of membership. ATEK’s vice president and president can also be consulted in emergencies from any part of the country.

For information on the service visit atek.or.kr/emergency.

Those wishing to join ATEK’s emergency needs team should e-mail officers@atek.or.kr for more information.

(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)